Pistachio orchard raises air quality concerns

Wednesday

Mar 27, 2013 at 1:00 PMMar 27, 2013 at 1:25 PM

Weeks after attention was drawn to a dusty situation regarding a planned Inyokern pistachio orchard was brought to the attention of Kern County and Eastern Kern Air Pollution District, plans are in motion to mitigate a dust situation.

By Jack Barnwelljbarwnell@ridgecrestca.com

Weeks after attention was drawn to a dusty situation regarding a planned Inyokern pistachio orchard was brought to the attention of Kern County and Eastern Kern Air Pollution District, plans are in motion to mitigate a dust situation.Mike McGee, owner of the 80-acre lot in Inyokern, said Tuesday that he was working in consort with the Air Pollution District to curb the dust issue.Over the past few weeks, residents raised concerns regarding massive amounts of dust being kicked into the air by dust. McGee is currently clearing the land for the eventual development of a pistachio orchard, all part of a quickly-growing agricultural industry popping up in the Indian Wells Valley.“We are utilizing lots of water coverage and we have barley plants growing in the land,” McGee told the Daily Independent Tuesday.McGee said the barley plants would provide a root system to keep the dust settled during most wind gusts.The matter is being monitored closely by the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District.“I believe the owner has sufficient water solutions in place to mitigate dust,” said Glen Stephens, the district's air pollution officer.Stephens said while it would not fully hold down dust it would work “until the property owner can find a way to bind the dust.”“I think we have the situation well in hand,” Stephens said.Stephens said he was first appraised of the situation the week of March 4.Stephens indicated he had been speaking with Supervisor Mick Gleason’s office at regular intervals.“We are on the same page that the property owner is taking the proper steps,” Stevens said.This was confirmed by Mick Gleason's representative Denny Kline on Monday.Some residents however continued to express concern over the ongoing dust storms, including Inyokern resident Steve Pennix, who lives adjacent to McGee's properties.Pennix commented Tuesday by email that while Gleason was out on site three weeks ago, the dust storms have continued, including a perceivable shortage in terms of water trucks attempting to keep the dust down.“They have watering trucks, but that just can’t seem to compete with the 80 acres of sand and dust,” Pennix said in an email Tuesday. “They cleared all that area without having any functioning well and watering system in place to irrigate the 80 acres.”Pennix said in speaking with Larry Mead, the local farmer for Mojave Pistachios, there was a sharp comparison to how McGee had developed his land compared the larger company.“You can go west up Athel Street here in Inyokern and see the difference yourself between how Mojave Pistachio did it and how this got done,” Pennix. “Those fields were stabilized from the get-go with watering capability already established and ready-to-go barley planting.”Pennix pointed out the logistics did not make sense regarding McGee's handling of the situation, and expressed doubts over McGee's well would“Either way, the dust storms continue, and now the worry from residents out here, besides begin tired of cleaning up dust and silt on a regular basis, is that come summer, you wouldn’t be able to run your swamp cooler because of all the silt that will clog it up.” Pennix said.The orchard has been the speculation of previous concerns regarding potential bird strike hazards once the pistachio trees begin producing. Pennix, a wildlife biologist, raised the issue at a February meeting of the Inyokern Airport Board of Directors.McGee briefly commented on it Tuesday, believing it “was winding down.”As recently as Tuesday, McGee's workers were burning sage brush previously cleared from the 80-acre lot, something the property owner confirmed and said was under observation.“We are doing everything we can to control the dust situation,” McGee said. “Mother nature is always in charge but we're doing our best.”However, Pennix, said the issue went far beyond a mere inconvenience and into the realm of health issues.“It is a hazard that was unnecessary, and we who were living quietly out here are the ones who now suffer the health and nuisance effects, not him,” Pennix said.

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